We are so excited to announce that we have officially signed a lease to launch the first brick-and-mortar shop of Chaia, our seasonal vegetable taco business. Our new home will be at 3207 Grace Street, NW in the heart of Georgetown, one of Washington, DC’s most beautiful, historic neighborhoods.

The shop will continue to provide the same simplicity, freshness and flavor that led to the long lines at DC’s Dupont Circle and White House FreshFarm Markets for the last two years, but will include a larger selection of vibrant vegetarian taco combinations — all still served in freshly pressed and grilled corn tortillas. There will also be a variety of carefully crafted sides and natural drinks. Chaia will stay committed to offering all customers an artisanal product at an affordable price point, elevating DC’s local food experience.

We wanted to say a big “thank you” to all of you–our loyal Loulie’s subscribers–for supporting us over the last eight years. We developed Chaia because of our love for cooking seasonal, flavorful and healthy food for our families and friends and sharing our cooking tips and recipes with you on Loulie’s. Inspired by our personal experiences — Bettina’s from New York City and Suzanne from rural Ohio — we wanted to take our seasonal cooking offline to create the unique relationship between farmers and urban, street-style food to offer a new culinary experience: “farm to taco”.

Whether you’re based in the Washington, DC area or live elsewhere, we hope you, your family and friends will come visit our shop at 3207 Grace Street NW. We plan to serve lunch Tuesday-Friday, brunch Saturday and Sunday and dinner Tuesday-Sunday. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest for updates on our shop!

We’ve been working really hard. It might not seem that way because we haven’t posted here for awhile, but things are cooking along with Chaia and we can’t wait to share. In the meantime, summer means longer, lazier days and – more than likely – less time in the kitchen. Here is one of our favorite go-to recipes that can be adapted to any season, but is particularly pleasing right now:

Summer Steamed Clams with Herbs

Serves 4-6

Garlicky and delicately delicious, all you need are a freshly-baked loaf of bread (or one pound of cooked linguine) and a yummy salad.

Last week we attended the Les Dames d’ Escoffier Celebrating Food Symposium and provided a tasting of our Chaia tacos. There were many delicious foods to try and lots of foodies and chefs to talk with and learn from. A highlight of the event was a Persian Jeweled Rice dish made with orange peels, almonds, barberries and pistachios by local chef Najmieh Batmanglij. As a wedding dish, it represents gold, rubies, emeralds and pearls. The recipe can be found in Najmieh’s latest book Food of Life . We picked up a copy at the event and decided to make a few things this weekend for a guest coming to DC. Note: We highly suggest getting the book, but similar recipes can be found online. Najmieh also teaches cooking classes in her Georgetown home, for those of you who are local.

Whisk ingredients for dressing and add to salad. Toss and season with more salt, lime juice and olive oil to taste. Tip: This salad can be made ahead of time and left on the counter until ready to serve.

Passed on to us by a loyal Loulies reader, a quick winter breakfast we have come to love is one cup cooked oatmeal mixed with a tablespoon of each – unsweetened almond butter, chia seeds, flax seeds and a drizzle of maple syrup. It is good for morning energy, satisfies hunger for hours and is perfect for this time of year when our bodies crave something warm and satisfying. Avoid the pre-packaged oatmeal, which is often packed with sugar and salt. And, yes, oats are naturally gluten-free.

This month’s Bon Appétit has a delicious!!! cover recipe that is simple and requires little, if any, adaptation. We are big noodle fans and love the comfort of a steaming bowl of Asian noodle soup. If eating healthy is a central part of your New Year’s Resolutions, then you will love this recipe – comfort food without the guilt. Other than omitting the fish sauce, we followed the recipe to a tee. The recipe suggests trying it with turnip greens too. We really like that idea.